The chipset. How will it play out?
Chipset support
The Clarkdale CPU interfaces with the underlying core-logic on an LGA1156 form factor - the same as current Lynnfield chips.
However, to run the integrated graphics via what's termed Flexible Display Interface (FDI), Intel is bringing two new chipsets to market, H57 and Q57.
Here's a mini-ITX H57 motherboard. Dual-channel DDR3 on the left, the CPU socket in the middle, and southbridge at the bottom.
The Clarkdale chip also amalgamates 16 PCI-Express lanes that can be used for discrete graphics, broken down to two x8 on select boards for multi-GPU usage.
HTPC heaven
GPU outputs are also good, bringing native support for HDMI (v1.3), DVI and DisplayPort.
Integration helps system-wide power-draw, as well. We witnessed a Clarkdale system idling at 25W and popping up to 65W under load. Important for the HTPC crowd, Blu-ray playback pulls around 45W.
What Intel has done with soon-to-be-released Clarkdale (Core i3) is to take aim at the mainstream PC-buying market, replete with integrated graphics, and reduce system costs by integrating the GPU with the CPU.
Package-level integration
AMD will bring its own fusion to bear with the also-32nm CPU known as Llano. Package-level integration, then, is the watchword for mainstream PCs in 2010.
Ultimately, Clarkdale will be a mass-market chip that will bring in the bulk of Intel's client CPU revenue next year: it's that important.
